Brits barred from entering EU from 1 January

British holidaymakers will be barred from entering the European Union from 1 January when the Brexit transition period ends and with the Covid-19 safety measures blocking entry. Unrestricted travel to countries within the bloc will no longer automatically apply to UK residents, meaning entry into the EU will be for essential travel only.

Travellers from a handful of countries with low coronavirus rates including Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea can visit EU countries for non-essential travel, with the UK included only till the end of the year.

The EU commission indicated there are no plans to extend unrestricted travel to the UK.

According to the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab “Covid restrictions would depend on what the EU and its member states decide”. He added, “restrictions on travel, inevitably, is going to be something that’s kept under review”.

Exemption for Britons only applies to diplomats, those travelling for “imperative family reasons” and some “highly qualified workers”.